


Princes & Promises

by storiesbeyondthestars



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, M/M, Mentions of a Minor Character Death, Not Beta Read, So here we are, mentions of an injury, this idea was in my head and just wouldn't go away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 10:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18636493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesbeyondthestars/pseuds/storiesbeyondthestars
Summary: At the crossroads of the two major roads in the kingdom was a little inn. It was there that Keith met the man with the dark blue eyes.





	Princes & Promises

The soft sound of metal on wood was the only thing that Keith could focus on as he slid the copper from one side of the table to the next, candlelight glinting off of the surface. A frown marred his face, his brows pinched together. He was normally good at simple addition, but at that moment, he wished that the total he continuously reached was due to his own lack of education.

He sighed, shoulders slumped slightly. The coins for their taxes were already set aside in a hidden place for collection, but there wasn’t nearly enough to pay the masons for the materials they needed to fix the shudders. As winter swiftly approached, it didn’t look good for them.

The only assurance Keith had was the popularity of the inn. At the corner of the crossroads, nearly every adventurer and traveler in the kingdom passed through their doors for a meal or a place to rest their heads. The dark clouds and heavy wind kept the travelers away over the past fortnight.

He never thought that this would be his life. He never thought he’d spend his time as an innkeeper who cleaned rooms, helped cook food, served people, fixed their walls and roof. He always pictured himself as an adventurer or explorer.

Keith used to stare up at the sky as a wide-eyed child and picture the world. His father would tell him stories of knights and heroes that slayed the monsters of the world and embraced their destinies. He told him of dragons, mers, and so much more. His favourite had always been star wolves. They were said to only appear to those who were worthy of their loyalty and companionship. He wanted that. He didn’t need to be a famous hero, but he wanted to mean something to _someone_.

Over the sound of the wind, Keith’s ears caught the distinct sound of horses as they approached. He swiftly gathered his copper pieces to hide beneath the counter. A person would be foolish to try and steal from him, as proven before. There was a reason Shiro kept Keith at the front despite his surly manner.

There were a few shouts outside, and if Keith were a better host, he would have checked on them. The wind was chilled, and his thick overcoat was locked within his own room. A few patrons sat at the tables and nursed their mead and the pies Adam made that day, but none paid attention as the door flew open.

The distinct cling-clack of armour did gain their attention, a few of the shadier men tucked themselves into the shadows. As long as no one messed with their place, Keith paid little attention to the goings on of the travelers like that. In fact, he normally preferred to deal with the quiet kind that simply paid their fare and minded their business.

The door flew open with a loud bang that rattled the old, wooden walls. Two figures entered, darkened blue cloaks covered the shine of their silver armour, but still gave away their status as nights, potentially Lords. No one else had the means of colours so rich, nor the time to shine their metals until they gleamed.

The first in was a tall man, whose dark brown eyes scanned the area. He was handsome with broad shoulders and rich brown skin, and though he was tense and stern now, Keith knew him to be a kind and warm man. He was simply sensible enough to check his surroundings. Unlike his companion.

He came in with a dramatic sweep over his clean navy cape, a smile as bright as his armour passed over his face. As if he lived without a care in the word (which was probably accurate), he strode to the counter. “There is my favourite innkeep. I’ll take your finest room.”

Keith kept his face stern, though he wanted to smile. “I suppose I can fit you out in the pigpen.”

The man gasped dramatically, and placed a hand over his chest. “You would dare put a beautiful face like mine in the pigpen?”

“Fine,” Keith replied tersely. “With the cow.”

He perked up slightly. “Kaltenecker loves me.” His lips rose in a sly smirk as he leaned forward. “Though I’m not sure that lodging suits me. Perhaps I could join you in your room.”

Normally that would be the point where Keith would make it very obvious that he was not only armed, but dangerous as well. It wasn’t uncommon for men to proposition Keith, though he never once accepted. An acquaintance of his, Pidge, claimed that it was because Keith had high cheekbones, fair skin, a brilliant coloured eyes. There was something almost royal about him. Keith that thought was quite hilarious. He was born to a simple man who worked hard, and most likely a whore.

He was as far from royal as one could get.

The point was that Keith was familiar enough with the machinations of noble men who eyed him to shoot them down without hesitation. This was different though. This was Blue.

Blue, who was so painfully handsome that it made his heart beat a little louder. (He feared that the other man would hear it one day. If he already had, he made no mention of it.) Blue, who had light brown skin and contrasting dark brown hair that framed his face.

The first time that Keith met Blue, he was well aware that he was of noble descent. Everything about his mannerisms, demeanor, and looks screamed it. So when he turned his deep blue eyes to Keith and poured on the flirtations, Keith was very quick to tell him off. He didn’t bother to learn the man’s real name at the time, and called him Blue when he tossed him out into said pigpen.

Shiro was nearly beside himself with worry that Keith would have some noble man hunt him down for the slight against his son. So Keith tracked him down to apologize. Blue hadn’t gone far, apparently lost in conversation with their cow (that he christened Kaltenecker).

Keith was forgiven, though his punishment, if it were one, was that he would never know the man’s name. He only responded to Blue.

Blue’s friend, a man named Hunk, which Keith was fairly sure was a shortened moniker for something else, simply sighed and allowed his ridiculous friend to do as he wished.

He seemed to travel frequently, since he became a fairly frequent customer. Keith started to believe that he laid in wait for when Keith was alone to appear, since Shiro was sure that he was made up at this point.

 Keith couldn’t blame him for that. Blue was beautiful and wonderful. He did have his flirtations, but he was a genuinely kind man who strived to make people smile. He certainly seemed like a tale.

Keith was no fool. He knew that Blue was so beyond him. He lost his father to a fire at a young age, and his mother stayed only long enough to keep him alive until he was weened. He learned to live both off of the land itself, and off of travelers. Then Shiro, kindly Shiro, took him in as a child after Keith tried to steal from his kitchens.

Shiro, who was a simple innkeep with his husband Adam, was beyond anything Keith was. Blue was another thing entirely.

Keith was not disillusioned enough to think that he could ever be anything with Blue. He was a noble for certain. The son of a lord, no doubt. Hunk was too cautious. Too like a guard. He probably has someone that he flirts with at every place. Would probably stop his outward flirtations if Keith gave into his advances.

That was the only thing that truly held Keith back. He so very badly wanted to give into Blue, but he didn’t want him to disappear.

So as much as he’d love to take Blue up to his meager space to sleep, he didn’t. “Hm. Perhaps next time.” He took out the heavy ring of keys and led the way. He had no fear to have his back open to Blue and Hunk. They wouldn’t do anything to him. “Lucky for you, we do have room available.”

“The usual fare?” Blue asked as he followed behind.

Keith grimaced. “Unfortunately no. Our Lord has raised his taxes once again.”

“Why?”

 A look over his shoulder found that a frown marred Blue’s face.  He looked quite concerned about this.

“I couldn’t tell you. Mandated by the King, I suppose” Keith answered. “Or our Liege Lord is a greedy fat man that only cares about himself.” The Lord of their lands claimed that the crown raised the taxes, not him. Of course, he was a lazy slob that could care less about the people in the lands he ruled over in service of the King.

Blue seemed terribly confused. “But I thought…” He shook his head.

“It is what it is,” Keith said. “I cannot complain. I have a life better than most.” He had a better life than he expected to, once his father passed. He opened one of the heavy wooden doors and turned to face Blue. “Here you are.”

Blue surprised Keith. He took his hand into his own, brought it up and pressed his lips against it.

Keith’s skin flushed as the lips, so warm and smooth, brushed his skin. He was sure he was dirty. Then he felt the sharp of coins passed to his hands discreetly. “This should be enough for my friend and I.”

He looked quickly, and his eyes widened at the sparkle of gold in his hand. “I couldn’t possibly—“

 “You can,” Blue answered quickly, a serene smile on his face. “Your presence alone is worth it.”

“You know he won’t take it back,” Hunk noted from where he stood.

Emotion welled within Keith. “I…thank you. We may be able to fix the windows before winter hits.” He really wanted to fix those windows. He didn’t want to have to deal with the chill of the air beneath his threadbare blankets.

Blue met his gaze and gently squeezed his hand before he let go. “That is good to hear.”

He felt his face flush again. Keith had to leave. If he didn’t, he’d likely give into Blue’s charming smile. “I’ll leave you to it then. Have a good rest.” His hand slipped away from the nobleman’s, and he was quick to retreat down the hall. His heart thundered in his chest.

He would be sad the day that Blue travelled through their inn with a wife instead of Hunk.  It was a fate he dreaded to see come to light.

…

The inn was frequented by so many because it laid perfectly as the crossroads of two major roads in the kingdom. One that ran from the mountain region in the north, down the capital in the island region of the south. The other ran from the desert region in the east to the forest region of the west.

There were many roads in the kingdom, but these were the ones more frequently travelled. They were the ones with the best upkeep and the safest trails.

Due to this, they were always privy to gossip from all corners of the kingdom. To the changes that happened before even the nobles were at times.

That was how Keith knew that something was dreadfully wrong. For a time, the roads were flattened under the hooves of horses as armies came from the east, west, and north to go south.

“Don’t ask,” Shiro warned him. “It’s best not to know, sometimes.”

Soldiers were the worst people. No, not all of them. There were many that would walk forward with an arrogance to their steps. Those that felt as if everyone owed them something.

As the armies passed through, more than one soldiers approached Keith to ‘warm his bed’. Some, admittedly, were unfairly handsome, but Keith had no interest in them. Even the most beautiful ones weren’t right. They didn’t have dark blue eyes and a smile that was brighter than the sun.

Keith was quite fed up with men who bragged over the size of certain body parts. The ones that leered at him, and expected him to do whatever it was that they asked simply because they were soldiers.  He made it quite clear that the only interest he had in them was to introduce them to his blade. It was due to some good fortune that they happened to have carrots, that he very aggressively sliced to pieces while maintaining eye contact with said soldiers.

His message went across loud and clear.

Shiro found this extremely hilarious.

“I don’t worry for you,” he admitted to him to him once. “I’m sure you could tame a dragon if you chose to.”

“I don’t want to tame a dragon,” Keith replied. He found them fascinating, but from afar. Dragons were not meant to be tamed or used by men, and made that very known.

As a child, Keith dreamt of soaring on the back of one, but with time and age, he knew better.

Magic ran deep within the earth beneath their feet, and there were many other creatures out there that were just as amazing, but perhaps more approachable.

_“What gift would it take for you to entertain my affections?” Blue once asked._

_“A wolf,” Keith replied quickly._

_“A wolf?”_

 " _Yes. A star wolf.”_

  _Blue laughed robustly at that. “Naturally. The wolves that seem to have stars imbued in their fur, human intelligence in their minds, and ancient magic in their souls. You would want for that and not a normal one. They’re said to choose who they bond with though, not the other way around. Such a thing seems to be worth more than simple entertainment.”_

_“If you brought me a star wolf, I would marry you,” Keith answered without hesitation._

_“I will find a star wolf for you then,” Blue said eagerly. “And gain good favour with your brother, of course.”_

_“The only favour you need is mine,” Keith said firmly. He was young, but still of adult age, and Shiro may have been his brother in all the ways that truly mattered, but he didn’t need his permission for anything._

_Blue thought on that before he nodded his head. “Then I shall fetch you a star wolf to gain your good favour, and only yours.”_

_“Do you tell all the innkeeps that?” Keith wondered._

 " _No,” Blue answered seriously, “only you.”_

Keith still wasn’t quite sure what to think of that. He _wanted_ to believe Blue, he did, but he couldn’t. How could he? He had absolutely nothing to offer a nobleman. Let alone one like Blue.

It was probably best that he set an impossible task before him. Star wolves were so rare that some believed they didn’t truly exist, and they only came to those who they deemed worthy. Blue would never find that for him. No star wolf was delivered, therefore Keith remained husbandless.

His claim wasn’t exactly a lie. If it were at all feasible, Keith would marry Blue without hesitation, star wolf or not. The star wolf would just guarantee it. That was a revelation that certainly startled Keith when he first realized it.  It was _not_ at all feasible though.

The night was eerily quiet. Keith was not one to fear inconsequential things such as the dark, but he was always more alert in it. The dark made it easy for dangerous things to hide. It was why he carried his dagger to the nearby freshwater spring when he went to fetch more.

He tensed when he heard the distinct sound of a stick as it snapped in half. The bushes rustled, and Keith turned to stare at the spot.

He almost dropped his dagger when he saw a small form with dark fur, accented by pale whites that seemed to almost glow in the dark. It was a small thing, likely barely weaned from its’ mother, but there was no mistake as it what it was.

“A star wolf,” Keith breathed out in awe. Just a pup, at that. The adults were said to grow bigger than a man, and were fierce, but if the stories were to be believed, if they deemed you worthy, it would be your loyalist companion for life.

The pup whined, and took a few steps away from him. It stopped and looked back at him with vibrant golden eyes.

It was as if it wanted him to follow it. Perhaps that was a foolish thought, but Keith still acted upon it. He followed the creature through the darkened woods, farther and farther from home. He only stopped when the pup did. It seemed to nod at him, and Keith was reminded that these creatures were said to have human intelligence, much like dragons.

He inched forward to look at the open clearing. At first, nothing caught his attention, but on a second look as the clouds parted to let the moon shine brighter, he gasped.

“Who’s there?” Hunk demanded, an almost frantic. He was almost unrecognizable. His cloak was torn and tattered, his armour with gashes from weapons that tried to land a hit that would kill, his skin caked with dirt and blood.

More alarmingly though was who was sprawled on the ground.

“Blue!” Keith cried out with alarm. He darted forward to look at him. “What happened?”

Hunk blinked his eyes wildly, as if unable to believe that Keith was in front of him. He stuttered for a moment before he said, “We were ambushed on the road. Are we close to the inn? I couldn’t tell. He was always the one who knew when we were close. I thought I hid us well, how did you find us?”

“Him,” Keith said, and nodded back to the star wolf that sat dutifully at his side. He stared in horror at the gash that was in Blue’s side. He didn’t have all his armour on, unlike Hunk. What he did have was almost hastily thrown together. “Yes, we’re close. Adam should be able to help.”

That seemed to renew Hunk’s confidence. He carefully pulled Blue into his arms, and Keith swiftly led the way back to the inn at the crossroads, the wolf by his side.

Keith threw the door open without any preamble. Startled, both Shiro and Adam leapt up, ready to fight until they saw that it was him. “Keith? What…?”

“Blue needs help,” Keith answered as he let Hunk in and closed the door behind him. “Adam, there’s a gash in his side.”

“This is Blue?” Shiro asked, a hitch to his breath. “Keith. Keith, this is Prince Lance of House McClain.”

“He is also going to bleed out if we don’t help him!” Keith snapped.

“We need to clean and cauterize the wound,” Adam decided, quick to think on his feet in dire situations. “Keith, fetch some water and a cloth. Shiro, the iron. You, big man, bring him to the back.”

Keith ran back to the spring where he left the wooden buckets behind. The star wolf ran at his heels excitedly. It didn’t run off into the woods when they were close, and instead chose to return with Keith.

There was so much to think about.  Blue—Lance was a prince. That made sense in a way. It fit him. As did his name. A star wolf seemed to have imprinted on him for no reason at all. It left him terribly confused. There was no time to ponder more on that at the moment though. He hurried, because he knew that time was not on their side. They needed to work fast to not just save Blue—Lance from his injury.

“There was a coup,” Hunk explained as Adam started to clean the wound. “I am Lance’s personal guard, and I was able to get him out of the castle. He didn’t go easily, I had to knock him out, but the Queen wanted her children to be safe. His eldest brother, with his wife and children, were not there. The same with his eldest sister and her wife.”

“There are five royal children,” Shiro noted. He’d always been fascinated by the royal family. “Prince Marco? Princess Rachel?”

“Princess Rachel was with her guard,” Hunk said. “I have not heard of her fate. Prince Marco is gone.” He sent them a watery smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Lance was furious with me when he came-to, but we were so far away. To return home would be suicide.”

 “Why not go to a less travelled route?” Keith asked from where he knelt beside Lance. He was clammy, and his skin was far too hot. Hopefully Adam could fix this before sickness took hold.

Hunk stared at him almost sadly. “Once he knew he could not go back for his family, he insisted we come for you. I thought we were done for until you found us.”

Something twisted within Keith’s chest. He looked down as to avoid the gaze of everyone else, only to meet the vivid amber irises of the star wolf as he inched closer to him, the softest whine escaped him.

Keith brushed his fingers across the impossibly soft and clean fur. It was like the creature never spent a night in the wilderness. It was a great comfort.

“Is that…” Shiro trailed off, not quite sure what to believe. Keith simply nodded.

“Shiro, Hunk, hold him down,” Adam advised, and drew their attention back to him. Keith opened his mouth to protest, but he shot him a look. “Keith, I want you to remain in his line of sight. And hold onto that thing. I don’t want it to be frightened and bite.”

He still wanted to argue, but not because he was told to stay by Lance’s head. Shiro and Hunk were both undoubtedly stronger than him. He wanted to argue Adam’s slight against the wolf. He would be good. Keith just _knew_.

They all got into place, and Adam fetched the glowing iron from the fire.

Lance woke with a scream as the hot iron was pressed to his side. He tried to thrash, eyes darted around until they settled on Keith. The pup whined a bit.

 “It’s okay, Blue,” he muttered and brushed the hair that stuck to his sweaty skin. “You’ll be okay.”

 He calmed, his lips formed into a word that suspiciously seemed to be Keith’s name, and passed out again a moment later.

“Done,” Adam said with a sigh. “The wound was wide, but shallow. Nothing was injured badly on the inside. We need to keep the area cool and clean for now. I should have a paste that will help.” He left the room and muttered to himself.

“What now?” Keith asked, though he kept his eyes on Bl—Lance, free hand petted the small pup beside him as if it were a childhood trinket.

“My plan was to travel west through the desert to the port cities, and then to Altea,” Hunk admitted. “The Queen and her husband are amicable to Lance’s family, and Lance in particular. Queen Allura was Lance’s friend as a child, and King Lotor holds no love for Sendak.”

Keith wasn’t exactly overly familiar with history, he had little time for that, but even he knew the stories of the cruel Emperor Zarkon and his most feared commander, Sendak. Though Zarkon fell to his own son’s blade, their lands combined with Altea, Sendak seemed to have vanished.

 “He’s the one that did this?” Shiro asked with a frown.

“Yes, I saw him myself,” Hunk answered with a nod. He sighed. “I am not sure how to proceed now. Most of our provisions are gone. Surely not enough to cross the desert, and I dare not go east instead.”

“I can take you,” Keith blurted out. Everyone looked at him. “I survived the desert on my own as a child. I know how to navigate it. How to survive. I can get you through.” He eyed him. “Should you get rid of your clothes that make it obvious that you’re noblemen.” It was true. Even tattered and torn, their clothes were simply too colourful for anyone else to have. Fabrics made with those dyes were just far too expensive.

“Keith’s right, you’ll need new clothing.” Shiro hummed thoughtfully. “In the port cities, the Holts own many ships. I’m sure they’d be willing to help us.”

“Us?”

“If you think I’m letting my little brother gallivant around with a wanted Prince, and said Prince’s bodyguard, alone, you are sorely mistaken,” Shiro said with a firm nod.

“The inn,” Keith said weakly.

“Has been falling apart, and taxes will spike even more with that monster in power.” He fixed Keith with a stern gaze. “We can build another inn. It’s just a place. Family is more important.”

“You’ll really help us?” Hunk asked, his eyes watery.

Keith looked at Shiro, and then to Adam, who listened from the doorframe. He then turned his attention to the little pup in his arms. The fantastically rare creature that he asked Lance to find him. The one that led him to Lance in time to help him. “Yes,” he answered.

He supposed he would have to trust in fate this time.  

…

Adam and Shiro had a large carriage that they could pull with their horses. Keith only ever saw them use it for when they needed to make long trips for supplies, or if things were too heavy or awkward to drag behind them.

 He was glad that they had it now.

 Adam and Shiro sat on the front, their voices low as they spoke to one another. Keith, Hunk, a still-sleeping Lance, and a star wolf, were crunched in the back with the supplies that they brought with them.

 Hunk fiddled with the dull-brown shirt that he now wore, bundled up under several worn blankets to fight off the cold air. They didn’t dare bring his thicker cloak, nor the armour or clothes that he and Lance wore before. They were too colourful, too expensive to the touch. Anyone would know that they weren’t commoners. Now the only thing that differentiated him and Keith was how uncomfortable he was within his new garments.

 Keith paid him no mind, eyes focused on Lance. As they bounced over the rough roads that led to the desert, wisely choosing to avoid the large, well-kept paths, Lance slowly moved a little more. He didn’t wake immediately, but he would rouse soon no doubt.

 The former innkeep was glad that the other man slept on for now. It allowed him a brief reprise to come to terms with everything that occured.

 The wolf shifted against his side, small and soft, but still so secure. Keith was in awe of the creature, unable to believe that one came to _him_. Him, a simple orphan with little to contribute to the world.

 His eyes slowly shifted from the wolf to Lance as he twitched at his side. The man that he admired deeply, but knew was far beyond him (though he admittedly hadn’t thought that he’d be one of _the_ Princes). Poor Blue, who lost everything to political greed.

 Who could have gone to safety, but risked his own life, and was injured, to get to Keith instead.

 The thought made it hard to breathe. He wasn’t worth such a gesture, but this prince seemed to think that he was. It was very overwhelming.

 Keith always felt the pull to adventure. He would have loved to explore the world, but came to accept his life. Not for an instant did he regret his choice to lead them through the desert. His father once owned a tiny hovel by the cliffs and caverns not overly far from the port cities. Keith learned to survive in such harsh environments, and if a prince thought that he was worth such an awful injury, then he would certainly prove his worth.

 His eyes roamed over the man’s familiar face. Lance. The name fit him in a way Keith couldn’t describe. It wasn’t pompous like some names were. It was more simplistic, and also the name of a weapon, his mind reminded him. Lance. Blue. They both fit him.

 As if prompted by Keith’s own thoughts, Lance shifted, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. Hunk moved closer and said his name, but his eyes looked up and locked onto Keith’s.

 “You’re safe,” Keith promised him.

 Lance’s hand shifted, and he reached up to hold onto Keith’s. He allowed it, and curled his own fingers around his. He slipped into slumber again; a single, breathy word escaped his lips. Keith felt his face flush. No one ever said his name in such a reverent way before.

 Hunk chuckled and smiled at him, his eyes drifted to their intertwined hands before he looked back out around the landscape.

 Keith looked down at Lance. Perhaps it was his fate to help him. Perhaps he was finally where he was meant to be.

 …

 Though still impressive elsewhere, the stars were always brighter in the desert. Keith studied them when he was a boy, unable to read or write yet. He used them to guide he way through the desert, and as a form of entertainment when he was alone.

A small huff to his left reminded Keith that he wasn’t alone anymore. The wolf pup was curled up in a tight ball at his side. His fur did seem to sparkle just like the sky.

Keith looked up as something shuffled, only to be met with dark blue eyes. He didn’t say anything, simply watched as Lance pulled himself up off the ground and made his way toward him.

He sat at his side and Keith said, “You should be resting.”

 “All I’ve done is sleep,” Lance said with a frown. “You all work so hard and I do nothing.”

“You _are_ a prince,” Keith pointed out.

That made his frown deepen. “Yes. And I apologize that I didn’t tell you who I was. I don’t except you…want _you_ to treat me like royalty. Not here. Not ever.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that,” Keith replied, and flicked his cheek. “You need to apologize for staying on the busy roads when you were being hunted by several armies.”

“I’d already lost my parents, my brother,” Lance said, his voice weak. “I have no clue about the others though I can only hope they’re safe. It was all so out of my control. But then there was you. I thought of you. The beautiful man at the inn who knew I was noble and didn’t give a shit. Who had more honour than most people within my parents’ court, as proven.” His eyes turned to the wolf, and he pouted. “Someone else found you a star wolf.”

“No, I think you did,” Keith said, unable to fight the flush on his cheeks. “He led me to you. I don’t think he would have appeared if you didn’t need help.”

“An lose the chance of meeting you?” Lance reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “If I did give you the star wolf, you said you would marry me.”

Keith’s heart thumbed in his chest. “Lance, you’re a _prince_.”

“Not anymore,” he replied. “There’s no kingdom left to rule.”

“You’ll get it back,” Keith assured him. “We’ll get you to Altea, and you’ll meet a Lady, or Princess, fall in love with them, and reclaim your kingdom for you and your siblings.”

“You’re quite optimistic about that,” Lance said, surprised. “I am nothing right now. A Beggar Prince at best. Should we get our throne back, I am still the youngest. Marco…” He trailed off as his voice cracked over his brother’s name. “Marco is gone, but the others are alive. I know it. My family has no preference for genders for heirs. Luis has children of his own, and Veronica has adopted some with her wife.”

“And I’m still a common boy,” Keith added.

“You’re far from common.” Lance ran a hand through Keith’s hair. “Surely your mother must have been something ethereal. There is no other way to describe you.” He paused. “If you don’t want to because you don’t feel the same, just say so. I will back off. No questions.”

Keith breathed out, and his heart squeezed. He wanted to lie for both their sakes, but he couldn’t. “I do feel the same.”

Lance visibly brightened. “So you’ll marry me?”

He chuckled. “Isn’t that a bit forward and fast?”

Lance hummed in thought. “I suppose so. Would you let me court you, with the knowledge that I very much intend to marry you one day?”

Keith wasn’t sure his face could burn more than it was, but it truly felt warmer than a moment ago. “You _did_ find me a star wolf.” He intended to add another statement to tease Lance, but was silence by lips pressed against his own. Not quite as smooth as before, but just as warm. Keith’s eyes fluttered, and he tilted his head so that he could lean closer still.

Was it the smart choice? No, definitely not. Was it his choice? Yes, yes it was. It was his choice to flirt with the Prince. His choice to follow the wolf. His choice to lead the Prince to safety. His choice to act on the love he felt instead of more excuses.

Who was he to fight his fate?


End file.
